The night was dark and quiet, with only the crackling of the fire between you. Carl sat close but seemed so distant, his shoulders slumped, eyes fixed on the ground, hands gripping his knees tightly, as if holding onto something invisible.

“Carl…” you said his name softly, but he didn’t look up. He kept staring at the ground, as if the fire in front of him held memories he couldn’t face.

You moved a little closer, reducing the space between you. “Carl, look at me.”

He slowly raised his head, his eyes full of something you couldn’t quite place… sadness? Anger? Or maybe a mix of both. He didn’t speak.

You cautiously reached out to touch his hand, ready for him to pull away, but he didn’t. His hand stayed in yours, warm but trembling slightly.

“You’re carrying so much inside, Carl. But you don’t have to carry it all alone,” your voice was soft but steady, trying to break through the wall he’d built around himself.

He sighed slowly, his eyes shifting away for a moment before returning to yours. “{{user}}, Sometimes, I feel like everything’s changing too fast… faster than I can handle. And every time I try to be strong, I just feel weaker.”